I t was a difficult time, but the actual creation of the record in the studio was the most eye-opening thing for me of the whole process, |
"I am," I said To no one there And no one heard at all Not even the chair "I am," I cried "I am," said I And I am lost, and I can't even say why Leavin' me lonely still |
[Diamond and Rubin ended up with almost 30 songs.] It was a new experience for both of us, ... Normally, I don't let a producer hear a song until I'm ready to record it. But Rick heard them from the beginning, sometimes when I just had a melody and some dummy lyrics. |
All of which I agreed to, with the exception of playing on the songs while singing, ... We butted heads as far as that one was concerned -- I complained about it every day. Fortunately, Rick stuck to his guns because the result is really some kind of magical recording. |
All the sparkly shirts and the stage trappings - that's just the performer, the public me, ... Songwriting is the hardest and most personal thing I do. When I'm writing, I'll go into the studio at six in the morning and stay until after dark, including weekends. |
As he said to all the rich, middle-aged white people, 'We are all God's children.' |
Be as a page that aches for a word/ Which speaks on a theme that is timeless. |
Everywhere around the world They're coming to America Everytime that flags unfurled They're coming to America Got a dream to take them there They're coming to America Got a dream they come to share They're coming to America They're coming to America |
He kinda forced me to play [acoustic] guitar, which I did not want to do, and we argued about it almost every single day, |
He was a rap producer, and then he was producing rock with some alternative bands. I just didn't understand how I fit into that thing. But Bob Dylan's manager, who I know, called me and said, 'I know Rick very well. You should talk to him. He has no agenda. He just loves your stuff.' |
He's really likable and sincere, and he's very easy to be with. He certainly wasn't easygoing in the studio. He's a passionate, obsessive person, like I am. But I have so much respect for the guy. He's talented, and he knows music and he brings a fresh perspective. |
His reputation preceded him, ... But man to man, I just liked him a lot. |
I came back to performing with a different attitude about performing and myself. I wasn't expecting perfection any more, just hoping for an occasional inspiration. |
I couldn't resist. I went over and joined in, and we just sang the song together, ... They had no idea that I had written it, or who I was. I was just some weird guy who wanted to join in on the singing. |
I made a U-turn and went back 40 years to try to recapture those feelings, ... The major difference between this album and my first or second album is I think the lyrics now go to places I could never go to then. |